The Catcher in the Rye

Since his debut in 1951 as The Catcher in the Rye, Holden Caulfield has been synonymous with "cynical adolescent". Holden narrates the story of a couple of days in his 16-year-old life, just after he's been expelled from prep school, in a slang that sounds edgy even today and keeps this novel on banned book lists. It begins:

If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you'll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don't feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth. In the first place, that stuff bores me, and in the second place, my parents would have about two haemorrhages apiece if I told anything pretty personal about them.

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Just Fab - Rated
This book is absolutely brilliant. I'm just a student and I am aspiring to write like Salinger one day.

The BEST book I have ever read. - Rated
I first started reading this book out of simple curiousity: it had no synopsis on the back. The fact is that there is no real plot, and although others think that there is no point in a book with no story, i love it.
It gives a wonderful insight into the life and mind of a 16 year old boy and by the end of the book I felt like i really knew Holden better than anybody in real life. I was able to identify so well with Holden, which i rarely get with many books. i think that the people who dislike this book are "the Phonies" who always felt like they fit in with the world and they fail to understand the thoughts of Holden.
The way it is written is incredible, it was like having a conversation: Holden would start telling you about one thing, and then sort of get sidetracked by another thought and really get into that. with some books you begin reading about something and you stick on that same thread for a really long time, with The Catcher In The Rye this doesn't happen. its awesome.
The only fault i can find with this book is that for weeks after reading it, i went around calling everyone a "goddam phoney," which does get a little annoying after a while.
In conclusion, read it. it is the best book you will read for a long time. no matter how many times i read it, it remains fresh and has a huge impact on me.

That's how I experienced it - Rated
I have a divided opinion about the novel The Catcher in the Rye by J.D.Salinger. On the one hand I have to admit that it gives the reader a very good insight into the world of a depressed teenager living in a world he doesn't want to accept. Holden Caulfield is a very sensitive boy and there are parts of the novel in which I can understand him very well. most of these parts are at the beginning of the novel. On the other hand I didn't like the book too much, because after I read half of it I started to hate Holden Caulfiel and as he is the main character, this was a real problem. I regard Holden as very naive: He judges almost everybody in his environment by calling them phony. For him this is the most negative quality a person can have, but he also behaves phony in so many situations. Furthermore Holden is such a pessimist that I could hardly bear it. And because Holden always repeats himself the novel was a bit boring in some parts. Summing up I can say that The Catcher in the Rye is probably a book that one should have read to be able to have a say in a discussion about it. And maybe with this novel it is like with very depressing songs: It depends on your own mood whether you like it. If the reader is in a good mood while reading it, Holden's emotions seem to be so far away that it is not very interesting to read on.

Readable, but is this as great as it is said to be? - Rated
One of the great American 20th century classics, this is a timeless story of a boy on the threshold of adulthood, working out his relationship with his family, his school, girls and the outside world. I grew more sympathetic with the main character Holden Caulfield as the novel progressed. Nevertheless, coming of age novels are very common and I am not sure immediately why this is considered such an all time classic; perhaps one has to read it at the right time of life to appreciate it fully.

Catcher in the rye - Rated
I have just finished, and i am left with a sweet taste in my mouth. Catcher in the rye is fantastically paced and extremely well written. It is one of the finest narratives i have experienced. It's sensitivity is breathtaking.
The length of this novel is judged to perfection, with a careful but relevant introduction, it proposes to introduce caulfied amongst his peers, who represent his disdain at life. It's cynical as hell, but not for the sake of cynicism. It's so ahead of it's time (cliche) I think it describes perfectly the way that adoloscents feel or even young adults at some time in their life. However Salinger seeks to prevent complete melt down by encouraging it's audience with the introduction of one of caulfields old teachers, who offers profound advice. I am purposly not going into the story in detail because it should be open to interpretation.